What Does It Mean to Be Salaried Anymore?
Part 1 of 2
I probably talk to a manager or executive every week, expressing frustration with someone they are managing. This runs the gamut of culture, expectations, time, and office behaviors - less so about performance issues. We've talked before about Generations in the Workplace - it's become one of our more popular trainings this year - helping leaders get to the bottom of their feelings about the actions and beliefs of a younger workforce. The key in the training, everyone needs to adapt. The question now is, how much?
So what about a 40-hour work week?
Managers often cite a reluctance from salaried employees to "work after 5 pm" or put in extra time to get something over the line. This is mostly coming from folks who have been in the workforce for 10+ years and directed to those newer employees - but not exclusively. During the pandemic, we thought critically about what it means to work and how and where we do it. In my mind, this pushback about limits within the workplace and expectations stems from that time and a values belief on the role of work in an individual's life.
Legal Definition:
Salaried employees are workers who receive a predetermined amount of base pay each payroll cycle. They can either be exempt or non-exempt from the FLSA and state wage and hour laws. This is governed by the Department of Labor. For exempt employees - there are no overtime wages. The procedural definition of how many hours constitute a full week of work and the requirement to work outside or inside of standard hours is going to be found in your employee handbook. Here's what ours says "The Spark Mill’s normal workweek is 40 hours, usually consisting of five (5), 8-hour workdays between 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM. On occasion, employees will be requested to work weekend and/or weeknight hours. The Spark Mill believes strongly in work-life balance and does allow its employees to work flextime." In this case the expectation is we put in 40 hours a week - our flextime policy says, "Flextime at the Spark Mill is a work schedule with time of arrival and departure that differs from the standard operating hours. For example, a typical flextime arrangement could mean an arrival at 10:30 a.m. and departure at 7:30 p.m. Flextime arrangements can be made on a case-by-case basis or may be permanent for any given role. Approval for flextime use is not required unless the request is for a permanent change to one’s schedule."
What now - Employer?
First, look at your employee manual and revisit what it says - do you like it? Does it reflect what you want in terms of rules or flexibility? If you have an employee whose beliefs do not match your rules, it's time for a conversation. Your fear of conflict is causing you to walk around grumpy, and whether you think so or not, everyone can tell when their manager is grumpy. So what do you say to the 5 pm employee? The key is to lean back into your policy. No one wants to return to the days of 80-100 work weeks that were standard before the Great Depression - but it's okay to ask salaried employees to put in more time when things are busy - it isn't okay to ask them to put in lots more time over and over - that's a sign that you are over capacity. The truth is that if you are a great place to work and a flexible environment, folks will do what needs to get done because they trust there is rest up ahead.
What now - Employee?
First, look at your employee manual and revisit what it says. Do you like it? Does it reflect what you want in terms of rules or flexibility? If it doesn't, it might be time to look for a workplace that matches your beliefs about how work should get done and the role that work plays in your life. It's okay to leave a job that doesn't fit—the current pain you might be experiencing is because you are wishing for something that isn't possible. You can stay and advocate or you can find somewhere that is a better match.
What Now - For Everyone?
At the end of the day - the question is what to do about work. Disconnects between wants and needs of an employer and an employee can have negative impacts on the workplace. The best next step is to open a conversation and get it out rather than both sides being grumpy. Part 2 will cover how to have this conversation. Stay tuned...